23 Weeks (Tomorrow)

Because I didn't get to mention them before:

The Jeremelon got a job!  It has amazing upward motion potential, but on the ground floor it's 100% commission-based.  Not so cool.  He's also out of the house about 11.5 hours every weekday, which is an adjustment from spending 24 hours together every day.

I have four (4!) weeks left in the semester.  How this is possible, when it feels I have more like double that, I have no idea.  The government changed Pell Grant applicability this term, and starting this summer they're offering grants for summer semester.  Which means I get to take classes!  I won't know if I get to keep all three until next month some time, but I will be taking at least two.  Hurray!

I LOVE the weather!  This 70-degree weather is perfect. :D  Now if only the pollen would stay outside when I open the windows, all would be beautiful.  I can't wait until the complex opens the pool so I can get in exercise that doesn't feel like it's causing my pelvis to either yawn apart or crush together.  Plus, it's swimming.  I miss swimming.  Chazberry and I were introduced to pools before we could walk, and we transformed into fish every summer growing up.  I miss the glow of the sun and the parting of the water and the glorious feeling of jumping into cool water after getting all sun-dried for lunch.  (Fond memory: Asking the adults over hot dogs what an SOB was, because my grandparents had a headstone next to the pool that said, "Here lies the last SOB who peed in our pool."  I believe the response was something like, "Somebody who pees in pools.")  Oh, and the smell of wet reeds when we pulled out the mats to dry on, and rain on the wind as it picked up to help (and freeze us), and watching it make tiny little waves on the water.  Ah, summer!

Third trimester symptoms are already setting in.  I've run 2 - 4 weeks ahead of all "typical" things listed in pregnancy books...I blame it on the extra weight and hyper-attention I pay to my body.  Even in the first trimester I didn't have to run to the bathroom much.  Now it seems my bladder hurts ALL the time (which is partially the berrykin's fault), my back aches after ten minutes of any even low-level activity, and I can only sleep for about five hours at night.  I'm exhausted again (not as badly as first trimester, thank heavens!) between lack of sleep and stress and growing the berrykin.  I need a warm bath and a nap after grocery shopping.  My belly is already in the way.  I'm going to have to start putting makeup on with my compact mirror, because with glasses off I can't get close enough to the bathroom mirror to see what I'm doing.  It's still novel, so I laugh at myself all the time.  The berrykin's movements hurt once in a while, but most of the time still tickle, which makes me giggle.  We registered at Target for some basic and/or fun stuff, just so we could feel like we were baby shopping without actually spending money.  I think we're likely just going to ask for gift cards unless people really want to add to the cuteness factor of our home.  The only things we really need are the big items we don't have the money to buy ourselves, and things like diapers and wipes.  Plus, we don't exactly have a lot of room for more baby stuff!

I think I shall steal the Jeremelon from his nap for a walk while the sun is still shining.